Understanding how characters grow is a vital part of storytelling. But it isn’t always that easy to grasp.

Digital marketers should incorporate the need for a character arc: It shows our audiences a compelling narrative, one with which they can identify. A stronger story equals a better message which equals a marketing success.

For help, let’s look at the many, many superhero movies from the last 15 years. Specifically, the dozens from Marvel and the handful from DC.

New York director Patrick Willems explains in the video above how “Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman” and “Suicide Squad,” all DC films, botched this most basic component. And what it costs the franchise in the long run.

In comparison, he shows how Marvel did “Iron Man” right: Billionaire inventor Tony Stark sells his weapons without regard for how they endanger the world. After being kidnapped, he decides to stop making weapons and to start helping others with his inventions.

Ta-da: a character arc.

After watching the video, we can work on ensuring that our stories show how our characters change over time. Our stories in digital marketing can include blog posts, Instagram videos, email blasts and Facebook galleries.

DC might assume that fans will flock to theaters because their characters are recognizable, but we can’t afford to make that mistake, too. Our job is to develop them for a message that resonates.